AN UNEXPECTED GROOM

Patrice had called the restaurant in advance and placed the orders.

When Sebastien and Roxane arrived, they did not need to order and the manager directly arranged for the dishes to be served. They were all Roxane’s favorites.

As Sebastien helped him with the food, he casually asked:

-Why was Diego there?

After swallowing the food, she answered honestly:

– He said his company was a sponsor of the competition.

– Is it true?

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

Roxane nodded and said:

– It could also be because of Leila.

In her opinion, considering how Diego ran away from the wedding for Leila and how she was causing trouble in the car, they both had feelings for each other. It was natural for them to rekindle their relationship.

Sebastian pursed his lips and said nothing else. He continued to choose food for her. Since she didn’t understand Diego’s meaning, he didn’t point it out. What if his heart wavered? Thinking of this, his eyes darkened. He told himself he wouldn’t give his heart a chance to waver.

Meanwhile, Roxane was so focused on eating that she didn’t notice Sebastien’s expression at all.

…

A week later, the Golden Brush competition finally announced its winners. This time, families and friends of the competitors could come and watch. Journalists were even present. They interviewed and took photos of the winners and published them in the newspapers.

Roxane wasn’t sure she would win so she didn’t tell her parents. She only texted Enzo, casually informing him.

He had just returned to the IT department and was very busy so he couldn’t come.

However, Jessica was very insistent on coming to encourage him.

Another person who came was Christine.

Christine said with confidence:

– Roxane, don’t be nervous! You will definitely win!

“You trust Roxane so much,” Jessica said playfully.

Christine nodded without hesitation, saying:

– Of course! She’s my sister-in-law! I’m also here to support her on behalf of my brother!

Jessica said teasingly:

-If your brother really loves Roxane, he should be here. It’s not sincere to send his sister here to represent him.

Christine said anxiously:

– My brother is very busy with work, but he will definitely come once he is finished!

Roxane gave Jessica a look and said:

-Jessi, don’t tease Christine. She will take it seriously.

Jessica laughed.

-I didn’t expect your sister-in-law to be so naive and direct.

Christine finally realized she was being teased. She wasn’t angry. She only said confidently:

– My brother will certainly come. Wait and see.

“Okay, okay, he’ll definitely come,” Jessica said, without arguing with Christine. It didn’t matter if Sebastien came or not since he wasn’t her boyfriend.

As for Roxane, she didn’t think Sebastien would come. After all, he ran the company. It wasn’t surprising that he didn’t have time. Naturally, she wouldn’t get angry just because he couldn’t come.

At this time, the judges began to announce the rankings. First, they announced the contestants who won the bronze and silver prizes, who chose the theme “Four Seasons”. The judges gave them high marks for their work.

When the judge announced the winner of the gold prize, Jessica and Christine held their breath.

On the contrary, Roxane looked very calm. She didn’t seem nervous at all.

The lead judge said:

– The winner of the Golden Brush competition chose the theme “Hometown”. It’s Roxane Alvarez from M City University!

-Ahhh! Roxy, you win!

– My darling, you are incredible! I knew you would win!

Jessica and Christine jumped to their feet and clapped loudly. They kissed each other enthusiastically. They were so happy that it seemed like they had won the competition.

The crowd began to applaud loudly.

Roxane stood up, preparing to go on stage to receive the award.

Suddenly…

– Wait a minute…”m

Leila, who was naturally present, suddenly stood up. Her expression was slightly embarrassed and gloomy as she said:

– I saw Roxane Alvarez’s painting. It’s indeed not bad, but she made a mistake. I think it’s unfair to the other participants if we allow him to win.

The head judge frowned.

– Miss Byrd, Roxane Alvarez’s painting was evaluated by all the judges and we made a unanimous decision. Do you question the judges?

Leila took a deep breath and said:

– I have absolute respect for the judges, but as far as I know, there are a few judges who have a good relationship with Watson Dixon of M City University. Roxane Alvarez is Watson’s student. That said, it is difficult to guarantee that a fair decision has been made.

The senior judge said with a smile:

-Miss Byrd, are you accusing us of being biased? Indeed, I have a good relationship with Professor Watson. Everyone in the industry knows it, and I have nothing to hide. You may not know this, but the paintings did not have names when they were appraised. Even if I was biased, there was nothing I could have done about it. Additionally, there are judges who have no connection to Professor Watson. A few of us are not enough to change the outcome.

Leila didn’t give up. She said:

– However, she clearly made a mistake in her painting. If you allow him to win, you compromise the integrity of the Golden Brush competition.

It was clear to everyone that Leila was targeting Roxane.Property © 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

Roxane was exceptionally calm in the face of the aggressive Leila. She asked in a clear voice:

“Miss Byrd, you said there was a mistake in my painting?” Can you please tell me?

She fearlessly walked on stage and stopped in front of Roxane’s painting, which was being held by staff. She pointed at him and said:

– Your composition is very good. You use bright and delicate colors very well. However, you made a mistake with the person’s hair here. To cover up your mistakes, you darkened the color, giving the painting a sense of disharmony. Then, she looked at the judges and continued to say:

– If such a painting could win, wouldn’t the Golden Brush competition become a laughing stock?

The other judges looked at each other and said nothing while the main judge said to Roxane:

-Would you like to explain this to him?

She nodded. After going on stage and standing next to her painting, she smiled and asked:

-Miss Byrd, you think I darkened the color to cover my mistakes. However, didn’t you think that under different lights the color would also change?

Leila was stunned.

Before she could react, Roxane asked the staff to turn off some lights.

The stage lights immediately went out. With this, the darker colors of the paint seemed to blend seamlessly with the other colors.

Leila was stunned. She looked at the painting in disbelief.

-How can this be so?

Roxane no longer paid attention to Leila. Instead, she explained her painting to the judges and the crowd.

– I painted this thinking of my grandmother. When I was young, I lived with her in the countryside. I remember it rained often and the roads were difficult to travel on. Whether I have an umbrella or not, my grandmother always came to pick me up with an umbrella, traveling through heavy rains and muddy roads. Because of her, I have never been drenched by heavy rain.

The painting depicted a muddy road and Roxane’s grandmother holding her hand and holding an umbrella above her head with the other hand. Among the warm colors of the painting, the white of Roxane’s grandmother’s hair stood out. For this reason, she named the painting “White Umbrella”.

Leila’s blood flowed from her face when she heard Roxane’s words.

At this moment, Roxane turned to look at Leila and asked sincerely:

“Miss Byrd, why do you think this is a mistake?” Did you really think it was a mistake or were you unable to tell…